Migrants to Britain, c. 1250 to Present

Huguenots

Huguenots

French Protestants who fled to Britain to escape religious persecution in the 17th century.

Palatines

German Protestants who migrated to Britain in the early 18th century due to economic hardship.

Windrush Generation

Caribbean migrants who arrived in Britain after WWII to fill labor shortages.

Pogroms

Violent riots aimed at the massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews in Eastern Europe. Examples include the Kishinev pogrom in 1903 and the Odessa pogrom in 1905.

EU Expansion

The enlargement of the European Union, allowing citizens of new member states to migrate more freely.

Jews

Arrived in England in 1066 with William the Conqueror. Faced significant persecution, culminating in the expulsion of 1290.

Flemish Weavers

Invited by Edward III to improve the English wool industry.

1290

Expulsion of Jews by Edward I.

13th-15th Centuries

Flemish weavers settle in towns like Norwich, Colchester, and London, contributing to the textile industry.

Africans

Brought as slaves or servants during the expansion of the British Empire.

1685

Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, leading to Huguenot migration.

1709

Arrival of Palatines, settling in places like London and Ireland.

1845-1852

Great Irish Famine leading to mass migration.

1880s-1914

Arrival of Eastern European Jews escaping persecution.

Pogroms

Violent riots aimed at the massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews in Eastern Europe.

Irish

Significant migration during the Great Famine (1845-1852).

Jewish Refugees

Fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe in the late 19th century.

Italians

Seeking economic opportunities in Britain.

Great Irish Famine

A period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland from 1845 to 1852.

West Indians (Windrush Generation)

Post-WWII labor shortages led to invitations for Caribbean migrants.

South Asians

Migrated post-1960s, especially after changes in immigration laws.

Eastern Europeans

Post-2004 EU expansion.

1948

Arrival of SS Empire Windrush, marking significant Caribbean migration.

1962, 1968, 1971

Immigration Acts impacting migration.

2004

EU expansion leading to increased Eastern European migration.

Numbers of Migrants

During the Industrial Period, hundreds of thousands of Irish, Jewish, and Italian migrants arrived in Britain. For example, by 1851, about 520,000 Irish-born people were living in England and Wales.